Safety dispensing cap



H. C. ANFOSSI April 25, 1967 SAFETY DISPENSING. CAP

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9 1965 April 1967 H. c. ANFOSSI 3,315,848

SAFETY DISPENSING CAP Filed Aug. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 3,315,848 SAFETY DISPENSING CAP Harold C. Anfossi, 11 Argyle St., Bowmanville,

Ontario, Canada Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,147 3 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-361) The invention relates to a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers, particularly for containers for tablets or fluids such as are used for medicinal prescriptions.

It is well known that many serious accidents are caused by children opening medicine bottles containing tablets or fluids that have been prescribed by physicians, and then swallowing parts of or all the contents of the bottle. This has caused in a great many cases the death of the children or permanent injury to them.

There have been attempts to make prescription bottletype containers child proof by providing various constructions of caps for the containers. But none of these has been completely childproof or foolproof.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers that is childproof.

Another object is to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers that can be economically manufactured quickly and easily assembled on the neck of a bottle-type container, easily operated by adults and that can be easily disposed of.

Another object is to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers that is constructed to control the dosage of the particular medicine or tablet that is dispensed at one particular time so that the particular dosage is nonlethal.

It is also a further object to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers in which the container must be inverted to operate the dispensing structure of the safety cap.

Another object is to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers that may be adaptable with minor modifications to either liquid or tablets.

Another object is to provide a safety-dispensing cap for bottle type containers that can be manufactured by molding from a plastic material at moderate cost.

Another object is to provide a safety dispensing cap for bottle-type containers that is dustproof and bind proof.

Another object is to provide a safety dispensing cap for ;bottlc-type containers that can be easily assembled or disassembled from the neck of the bottle-type containers for cleaning purposes.

The above objects are accomplished by molding the safety dispensing cap of flexible plastic material of the polyethylene type or its equivalent. This would be done in two sections. The molded plastic material must have suflicient rigidity to maintain the desired molded shape, and be able to withstand repeated flexings without cracking or breaking. The open end of the bottle-type container is formed with a flange on its outer edge over which the outer closed end of the safety dispensing cap snaps over, when the safety dispensing cap is in closed position. The lower part of the cylindrical body of the safety dispensing cap slopes outwards so that when the safety dispensing cap is pulled upwards in order to remove the safety dispensing cap it requires a pull of about pounds to get at the contents. The circular bottom of the safety dispensing cap is also grooved to allow the entire safety dispensing cap to be removed when a pulling force slightly greater than 10 pounds is applied. A hollow chamber is provided between the outer closed end of the safety dispensing cap and the circular bottom of the safety dispensing cap. The volume of the chamber is of such dimensions that it does not exceed the maximum safe dosage volume of the tablets or medicine being dispensed. The chamber is provided with an opening through which the tablets or medicine enters from the main part of the bottle type container when the safety dispensing cap has been placed in a predetermined position. An upper dispensing opening is provided from the upper part of the chamber in the safety dispensing cap through which the contents of the chamber may be dispensed when the safety dispensing cap has been moved into dispensing position. After the contents of the chanrber are dispensed the safety dispenser cap is pushed back into closed position on the neck of the bottle-type container. The contents of the safety dispensing cap are dispensed by holding the bottle-type container in an inverted position.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view pensing cap.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the safety dispensing cap taken along the line AA of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the safety dispensing cap taken along the line B B of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the safety dispensing cap taken along the line CC of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the safety dispensing cap taken along the line D-D of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the safety dispensing cap taken along the line E-E of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the safety dispensing cap in closed position fitted to a bottle-type container shown in cross section.

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view of the safety dispenser cap in filling position fitted to a bottle-type container shown in cross section.

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view of the safety dispensing cap in dispensing position fitted to a bottle-type container shown in cross-section.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGURES 1 to 6 inclusive, the safety dispenser cap consists, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, of a circular closed upper end 1 with a flange 2 extending downwardly from the outer edge of the closed upper end 1 to fit over the upper open end of a bottle-type container to be later described. The inner side 3 of the flange 2 is shaped to provide an inwardly extending annular part 4 to snap over the open upper end of a bottle-type container to be later described. As shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4 the inner side 3 of the flange 2 is connected at 5 to a narrower downwardly extending cylindrical part 6 of a predetermined length. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 5 the downwardly extending cylindrical part '6 is flared outwardly at 7 to form a wider conically shaped part 8 extending to the circular bottom part 9 of the safety dispensing cap. The bottom part 9 is grooved diametrically at It and 11.

The safety dispensing cap is provided. with an inside chamber .12 as shown in cross-section in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The chamber 12 extends from the inner side 13 of the bottom part 9 to the lower inner side 14 of the closed upper end 1 of the safety dispensing cap. An inlet opening 15 to the chamber 12 for the predetermined quantity of the medicine or tablets to be dispensed is shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and in cross-section in FIGURE 5, and extends upwards from the inner side 13 of the bottom part 9. An outlet opening 16 from the chamber 12 for permitting the contents of the chamber to be dispensed is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 and extends downwards from the lower side 14 of the closed upper end 1.

Referring to FIGURES 7, 8 and 9, the safety dispensing cap is shown in the three operational positions on the neck 7 of a bottle-type container 18 shown in cross-secof the safety distion. In FIGURE 7 the safety dispensing cap is shown in the closed position with the flange 2 snapped securely in place with its inwardly extending annular part 4- fitting below the annular rim 19 of the bottle-type container 18. The inlet opening 15 to the dispensing chamber 12 is open to allow entry of medicine or tablets into the chamber 12, and the outlet opening 16 from the chamber 12 is closed. The bottle-type container 18 is now inverted and lightly shaken permitting the tablets to enter the inlet opening 15 and fill the dispensing chamber '12. The volume of the dispensing chamber 12 is calculated to accommodate a number of tablets considered to be of safe dosage in case of accidental opening of the safety dispensing cap. While the bottle-type container 18 is still inverted the safety dispenser cap is unsnap-ped by pulling it outwardly from the bottle neck 17 into the position shown in FIGURE 8. In this position the inlet opening 15 is at the base 20 of the bottle neck 17 while the dispensing outlet opening 16 is at the level of the lip 21 of the bottle-type container 18. As no tablets can yet escape from the outlet opening 16 of the chamber 12 the tablets will only enter the inlet opening 15 as far as the chamber will accommodate them. A gentle pulling of the safety dispensing cap outwards will uncover outlet opening 16 and close inlet opening 15.

As the bottom part 8 of the safety dispensing cap is flared outwardly at 7 to form a wider conically shaped :part 8, increasing resistance to pulling will occur until the safety dispensing cap assumes equilibrium in the position shown in FIGURE 9 under a pulling force of approximately 10 pounds. While the container 18 is still inverted the tablets in the chamber 12 will drop from the chamber 18 through the outlet opening 16.

This type of safety dispensing cap is only applicable to a bottle-type container with a neck of smaller diameter than that of the rest of the container. The cap is made of flexible plastic. The larger diameter of the bottom part of the safety dispenser cap makes complete withdrawal of the cap from the neck of the bottle possible only with considerable pull. To remove the safety dispensing cap entirely from the neck 17 of the container 1%; would require a considerable additional force by an adult and would be a physical impossibility for a child.

To obtain additional tablets the safety dispensing cap must be pushed back into the bottle-type container 18 as shown in FIGURE 8 and the procedure set forth above repeated.

' The safety dispensing cap is intended to be installed at the source of manufacture and the bottle-type container and the safety dispensing cap would be disposed of when empty.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the specific embodiments it is understood it is to be construed broadly and limited only by the scope of the claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which a property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A safety dispensing cap for a narrow neck bottletype container comprising an upper closed circular end part, a downwardly extending flange integrally formed on the outer edge of the upper closed circular end part, said flange formed with inner and outer sides, the inner side formed with an inwardly extending annular part, said narrow neck bottle-type container having an annular rim on the upper end of said narrow neck over which the said flange and the said inwardly extending annular part of said flange are adapted to extend, a narrower downwardly extending part integrally connected to the said upper closed circular end part, a wider conical part extending downwards from the said narrower dowlnwardly extending part, the said wider conical part and the narrower downwardly extending part being formed with an interior dispensing chamber, an inlet opening in the lower part of the said chamber, and an outlet opening in the upper part of said chamber.

2. A safety dispensing cap for a narrow neck bottletype container as defined in claim 1 in which the flange, the inwardly extending annular part on the inner side of the flange and the narrower downwardly extending part are so formed and shaped that the said flange fits over the said rim of the said bottle-type container with a snap action.

3. A safety dispensing cap for a narrow neck bottletype container as defined in claim 1 inwhich the said wider conical part comprises a solid circular bottom part formed with diametrical grooves to allow contraction under pressure of said wider conical part.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1943 Manley 222-36l 1/1965 Graham 222-361 

1. A SAFETY DISPENSING CAP FOR A NARROW NECK BOTTLETYPE CONTAINER COMPRISING AN UPPER CLOSED CIRCULAR END PART, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE INTEGRALLY FORMED ON THE OUTER EDGE OF THE UPPER CLOSED CIRCULAR END PART, SAID FLANGE FORMED WITH INNER AND OUTER SIDES, THE INNER SIDE FORMED WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR PART, SAID NARROW NECK BOTTLE-TYPE CONTAINER HAVING AN ANNULAR RIM ON THE UPPER END OF SAID NARROW NECK OVER WHICH THE SAID FLANGE AND THE SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR PART OF SAID FLANGE ARE ADAPTED TO EXTEND, A NARROWER DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PART INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE SAID UPPER CLOSED CIRCULAR END PART, A WIDER CONICAL PART EXTENDING DOWNWARDS FROM THE SAID NARROWER DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PART, THE SAID WIDER CONICAL PART AND THE NARROWER DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PART BEING FORMED WITH AN INTERIOR DISPENSING CHAMBER, AN INLET OPENING IN THE LOWER PART OF THE SAID CHAMBER, AND AN OUTLET OPENING IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID CHAMBER. 